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St. Cloud State Interim President Ashish Vaidya, SCTCC President Joyce Helens and incoming SCTCC Interim President Lori Kloos joined together to sign a Student Transfer and Program Development Partnership Agreement to reaffirm their commitment to developing collaborations.

The new agreement builds upon the work the institutions are already doing.

“It’s important to have these symbolic events to solidify and codify the important work that has been going on for a long time,” Vaidya said. “I think it was important for us to both recognize the roles that these two institutions play in serving students in this community.”

Together St. Cloud State and SCTCC serve more than 21,000 students and are the engine of economic, social, cultural vitality for area, he said.

Among other collaboration, the agreement calls for St. Cloud State and SCTCC to pursue:

A Dual Enrollment/Dual Admissions process through which students will complete one application for enrollment at both institutions.

Development of clearly articulated Transfer Pathways for existing degrees.

Development of 2+2 degrees to create affordable pathways for high-demand degrees.

President of St. Cloud Technical Community College, Joyce Helens, and Interim President of St. Cloud State University, Ashish Vaidya, put ink to paper for the new agreement.

In the past, Minnesota State chancellors have called St. Cloud State and SCTCC’s work together a blueprint for the kinds of collaborations that should be happening throughout the state. The agreement signed today will serve as a blueprint for future leaders of both schools to take those collaborations even further, Helens said.

Kloos expressed appreciation for the work done by Helens and Vaidya in the past and her excitement to begin implementing the new blueprint during her tenure.

The university and college already collaborate on their campus card systems, public safety, library resources and opportunities afforded students through the Community College Connections program.

“Higher education is being challenged on multiple levels,” Vaidya said. “We are being asked, we are being challenged, to become more innovative as we go forward and collaborations — and partnerships like this are a strong example of how we continue to do that and find even knew ways of becoming more efficient, effective and leave lasting benefits to these communities.”